A Cloud of Coral

While looking through www.emmaonesock.com for a piece of burgundy jersey, I happened upon this lovely confection:

It's soooo pretty! It's like sewing on a cloud.

Be sure to double click on the photos to make them larger so you can see the detail. I think Linda of Emmaonesock.com may still have some of this fabric in stock, at least she did when I made this link.

I hesitated to buy a couple of yards only because working with knitted (as opposed to knit) yardage can be daunting. In my mind, a knitted piece has the possibility of unraveling the minute the scissors cut through it whereas most knit yardage (like the jersey that I was originally looking for) does not ravel.

Well, I was foolish to hesitate.  The entire process from placing the pattern to finishing the sweater took no more than 4 hours.

Since I wanted a very simple look, I drafted my own pattern. It was embarassingly simple: the front and back are identical except that the front neckline is scooped a bit lower. The sleeve armhole edges are symmetric about the shoulder point. I purposely made the sleeves with just enough ease to be comfortable but not too loose. There is also negative ease in the body of the sweater. I wanted a very close fit, and that's what I ended up with. Yay!

Here's how I worked with this delicate knitted fabric.

1. Place the fabric, right side up and in a single layer on the cutting board with the pattern (no seam allowances) pieces weighted on top. 

2. By hand, stitch around the edges of each pattern piece with a running stitch to mark the seamlines. I used Japanese cotton basting thread.

3. Cut a 1 inch seam allowance around each piece.

4. Carefully take each piece, one at a time, to the serger and serge around all the edges with a 3 thread wide stitch (stitch finger in place), allowing the serger blade to cut about 1/4 to 3/8 inch of the knit off as you go.

5.  Place the pieces on a blocking board or several layers of bath towels. Slip the tissue pattern pieces under their fabric counterparts. Coax the knitted fabric pieces back into their original shapes, aligning the running stitches with the pattern edges. Then carefully slip the pattern pieces out and steam each piece, patting gently to straighten any ripply edges.

6.  Take each piece in turn to the sewing machine which has been set for a multiple zig zag stitch at its widest stitch width (7.0 on my machine) and 2.5 mm stitch length. Stitch all around each piece adjacent the serged edges to catch any loops that may not have been completely secured by the serged edge. The rightmost swing of the needle will catch the serged thread edge right in the middle of the line of serger stitching as it makes its serpentine path around the edge.

7.   Repeat step 5 to get the pieces back into the shape of the pattern pieces aligning the running stitch-marked seamlines with the edges of each pattern piece. Slip the pattern out and steam. Allow to dry completely.

8. Assemble as you would any knit piece, stitching along the seamlines just next to the cotton marking thread. Remove the cotton thread when the seam is completed.

9. On the ironing board, steam each seam, finger pressing it flat.

10. Turn the neck, sleeve, and lower hem edges under about 3/4 inch. Secure the hem with a relatively short catchstitch, which will allow for a bit of give as you put the sweater on. Steam each hemmed edge gently, not pressing too flat with your fingers only.

I'm sorry I didn't take any in-progress photos, especially since I know they would have made this mini-tutorial easier to follow, but I was so excited to see this simple project come together that I couldn't stop! 

Now here's my problem: I thought this sweater would take much more yardage than it did. I used 3/4 yard for this project because I got all of the pieces out of a single length. I have about 1 1/4 yards of this fabric left over. What to do with it? Make a big sloppy sweater for a cozy look? Make a long sleeveless vest to go over this sweater? Hmmmm...I can't decide.  

I just don't want to put it into my stash--I want to use it up! 

Any suggestions?

Oh and P.S. I never did get any burgundy jersey. :)